He is alleged to have filed a case of a missing person at Nankoma police post, however, on interrogation, he failed to explain circumstances which led to the child’s disappearance, prompting police to mount search in the area.
Police in Bugiri district have arrested Peter Basalirwa, a
resident of Busuyi village, in Nankoma Sub County on allegations of killing his
one and half year old step-son, Henry Onyango.
Basalirwa is being charged of murder under CRB 323/2019.
He is alleged to have filed a case of a missing person at Nankoma police post,
however, on interrogation, he failed to explain circumstances which led to the
child’s disappearance, prompting police to mount a search in the area.
Onyango was however, recovered dead from a watermelon garden
next to a shrine, with the private parts and nose missing.
On retrieving the body, angry residents stormed the shrine and lynched the witch
doctor, Alex Habuti.
The deceased’s mother, Justine Athieno says that she left Onyango under the
care of Basalirwa, but on returning, the child was missing.
“I went to fetch water at the well and left Onyango under the care
of my husband, but on returning an hour later, the child was missing only to be
recovered dead in our neighbour’s garden,” she says.
James Mubi, the Busoga East Police Spokesperson, says investigations are
underway and more suspects will be arrested.
//Cue in: “community developed anger…
Cue out…over this matter,”
Amuza Nkwanga, the chairperson of Nankoma Sub County says that there are many
mushrooming witch doctors in the area which is sparking off vices like child
sacrifice.
“60% of my residents are either traditional healers or witch
doctors, and more keep on mushrooming by the day which has made it hard for us
as leaders to scrutinize them. In fact, these vices like child sacrifice are
coming up now because we lack measures of screening herbalists and traditional
healers,” he says.
